Well Baldy you certainly jogged the old memory with your mention of Baileys cellar club. No alcohol so you had to have a drink beforehand. Always guaranteed a good Friday night fight at closing time. Used to be such a good customer that they'd let me in for free throgh the week. Used to go nearly every night.
Back to the night clubs of the eighties. I remmber when OZ opened. Formerly the Latino/Tavern. It was advertised as a really trendy place with a strict dress code. No white socks or DD ( double denim - jacket and jeans )
My daughter used to go there and the doorman said you are just the type we need here. You mean young, sophisticated, career girl she said. No whenever you're here you've got a different bloke spending money on you. Well it was the eighties.
Also remember Ruperts. The place flooded regularly- I think that accounted for the smell.

I've mentioned Bailey's Cellar club a few times on these boards Delilahcat.
I used to get in there most nights myself, I also got the free passes for during the week, in fact I've still got one of my passes.
Over the years there has always been confusion as to exactly where it was, whether it be the Gazette or people talking about it they always get it wrong.
By the way, I know where it was..

Okay Brian I'll tell you, Baldy's right it was at the top end of Beach Road on the left hand side, number 42 to be exact.
A lot of people including the Gazette in the past have said it was where the Bowler Hat pub is now, which is opposite the Town Hall at the bottom end of Beach Road.

It was not alchohol free when I used to get in there, it had two bars one upstairs as you went in the door called the garden bar, the other downstairs off the dance floor through the bat wing doors.

Cisco you are right about the location. When I started going in about 1959 it was soft drinks only but they later got a license to serve the harder stuff.
The bar used to be decorated with Spanish bull fighting posters - very cheesy but then considered to be the height of sophistication. The guy who owned it - Stan Henry - went on to own a chain of nightclubs and I believe he owns the Springs health club.
At the time of the Cellar club he was just starting out. The club eventually moved to Thomas Street and became The Chelsea Cat.

I started going there about 63 Offthewall, I was only very young mind.
I was the same there nearly every night, if you did'nt have a pass for during the week it was only two shillings to get in, five bob on weekends.

As for Stan Henry owning the Cellar Dililah, he did'nt, it was owned by the bailey organisation of which Stan Henry became a director.
The actual owner being Ma Hogg who used to sit on the door taking the money, who was a founder bailey, the Cellar being where it all started.
Stan Henry did go on to become managing director.
I think I'm right on that one, if anybody knows any different let me know.

There were two bouncers on the door, Frankie and Alfie and when the new Cellar opened I believe Alf got the job of managing it, but he either packed in or retired shortly after and Frankie took over and was there for years after.

Cisco you are probably right I think that the club was originally a dance school run by Ma Hogg. Stan and his partner John started out running dances in church halls and community centres as there wasn't much in the way of entertainment for young people those days.
He married Avril who used to work at the Cellar. There was also a small woman who played the records. I remember the bouncers , particularly Frank. He was still at the Chelsea Cat when my daughter was going there.
I went to the club from about 1959 to 1964. Even went there for my Hen Party. How sad is that.

When I was going to the Cellar Delilah, the little woman you were talking about used to sit on a stool beside Ma Hogg at the door, she was little alright lucky if she was three foot high with blonde hair.

There was another club I used to go to in Beach Road in the mid to late sixties, Careme House, a friend of mine had his wedding there, you never hear anybody talk about it, do you remember it.

Yes Cisco I think the correct term is a person of restricted growth. Mind she was always well dressed and got up to have a bit of a dance. It would have been my ideal job - on the door at the club checking out all the lads ( when I was 16 of course ). I also remembe Careme House. Went to a wedding there - wonder if it was the same one. Mine was two teacher friends one from Dean Road school one from Redwell. They have stayed married so it must have been a lucky venue